Kuwaitis remain weary of bitter disputes among MPs

Manama: Most Kuwaitis did not have much faith in parliament lasting the full term because of the constant bickering between the lawmakers and because of the regular stand-offs with the government.

People had hopes that the Emir's speech at the opening session of the parliament in October and in which he called for cooperation instead of confrontation, between MPs and ministers but they were soon dashed.

Some people complain that they have become bored with the continuous disputes and the "slaughtering of Kuwait in broad daylight by the government and the MPs".

Kuwaitis argue that most of the political problems plaguing their country can be solved by a general commitment to the constitution and to the application of the law. To them, too many people like to break the law.

Some people insist that the MPs cannot do much in the parliament because they depend on ministers to secure the interests of their constituents. They blame ministers for not being sufficiently open with the people on most of the issues affecting the country. Either way, Kuwaitis say, political stability and economic achievements are always at risk.

Columnist Abdul Mohsin Yousuf Jamal said that the Kuwaiti parliamentary example should not be emulated by other parliaments in the Gulf.

Explainer

What is happening in Kuwait?

 Four MPs have requested to quiz ministers, including Prime Minister Shaikh Nasser Al Mohammad, over allegations of financial and administrative irregularities. Observers attribute the bickering in the Kuwaiti parliament to a strong desire to dominate the political and social scene. Sectarian tendencies are not sufficiently strong to impact the parliament, but the standoff between liberal and conservatives forces is often at the core of the issues taken up by the MPs.

Disputes between government ministers and MPs have heaped tremendous pressure on Shaikh Nasser since his appointment in 2006.

In the three years he has been in charge of the government, he dodged five grilling requests and formed five governments.

Three parliaments were elected in as many years. Parliaments were dissolved to avoid the questioning.

Who are the four ministers being quizzed?

Prime Minister Shaikh Nasser Al Mohammad

Interior Minister Shaikh Jaber Al Khalid Al Sabah

Deputy Prime minister and defence minister Shaikh Jaber Al Mubarak

Minister of Public Works and State Minister for Municipality Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar

What is special with the grilling of the prime minister?

Shaikh Nasser Al Mohammad is the first prime minister in the Arab world to be quizzed by the parliament. Several media in Kuwait hailed it as a major democracy landmark and a sign of unprecedented openness.

Why did Shaikh Nasser accept to be grilled?

Shaikh Nasser has repeatedly said that he was ready to be grilled because he had nothing to fear or worry about. The premier consistently said that the cheque he gave to a former MP was a private matter and that he was not using public funds.

To one reporter who asked him if he and the other ministers were ready to be answered, Shaikh Nasser answered in four languages "Naam, Yes, Oui, Si" (Arabic, English, French, Italian / Spanish).

Why did the government insist on a secret grilling?

The government said that the matters that could be divulged during the quizzing could be highly sensitive and should be behind closed doors. The government engaged in tremendous lobbying to ensure that the grilling be held behind closed doors. On voting day, 40 voters, including 16 ministers, said that the quizzing should be secret, while 23 insisted on a public quizzing.

What did Shaikh Nasser say after the grilling?

Shaikh Nasser insisted on the unconstitutionality of the quizzing, but said that his belief in democracy led him to accept it.

"Despite the insistence of a few people to spoil the good atmosphere by submitting a non-cooperation motion, I would like to express my profound gratitude to my brothers in the parliament for their high level of coconsciousness and political maturity superbly displayed during the quizzing," Shaikh Nasser said.

"Even though the themes of the quizzing were unconstitutional, I have been keen on clarifying the matter from a realistic and politic point of view. I deeply believe in democracy and I found it my duty to face the questioning despite all the constitutional and legal violations in the questioning about the expenditures of the premier's court and expenses from a private account. Now that the grilling is over, the prime minister said, there is hope that the nation will put this matter aside and move forward "on the road to development and prosperity, boosted by a fruitful partnership between the executive and legislative branches, and guided by the wisdom of His Highness the Amir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah," he said.

What did MP Faisal Al Muslim say after the grilling?

"I salute the courage of His Highness the Prime Minister who accepted the grilling. I must stress that such practices reinforce the interests of the nation and the people."